View source for Operation Flashpoint: Cold War Crisis

{{Short description|2001 video game}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2019}}
{{more citations needed|date=December 2014}}
{{Infobox video game
| title = Operation Flashpoint: Cold War Crisis
| image = Operation Flashpoint cover.jpg
| developer = [[Bohemia Interactive Studio]]
| publisher = [[Codemasters]]
| series = {{plainlist|
*''[[Operation Flashpoint (series)|Operation Flashpoint]]''
*''[[Arma (series)|Arma]]''}}
| director = Marek Španěl
| designer = 
| composer = Ondřej Matějka
| engine = 
| released = {{plainlist|
*'''Windows'''<br />{{vgrelease|AU|June 21, 2001<ref>{{Cite web |title=''Operation Flashpoint'' |url=http://gamenation.com.au:80/product/?action=list&genre=10&platform=5&type=genre |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20011226005122/http://gamenation.com.au:80/product/?action=list&genre=10&platform=5&type=genre |archive-date=December 26, 2001 |access-date=April 6, 2024 |website=[[Atari, Inc. (1993–present)|Atari Australia]]}}</ref>|EU|June 22, 2001<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bye |first=John |date=June 5, 2001 |title=London Flashpoint |url=https://www.eurogamer.net/article-30751 |access-date=April 6, 2024 |website=[[Eurogamer]] |archive-date=May 21, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240521220957/https://www.eurogamer.net/article-30751 |url-status=live }}</ref>|NA|August 30, 2001<ref>{{Cite web |date=January 3, 2002 |title=Readers' Vote: Action Game of 2001 |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2002/01/03/readers-vote-action-game-of-2001 |access-date=April 6, 2024 |website=[[IGN]] |archive-date=December 28, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241228222134/https://www.ign.com/articles/2002/01/03/readers-vote-action-game-of-2001 |url-status=live }}</ref>}}
*'''Xbox'''{{vgrelease|PAL|October 28, 2005<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bramwell |first=Tom |date=October 28, 2005 |title=What's New? (28th October 2005) |url=https://www.eurogamer.net/a-whatsnew-281005 |access-date=April 6, 2024 |website=[[Eurogamer]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=''Operation Flashpoint Elite'' |url=http://www.atari.com.au/games/overview.do?id=425 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051031080624/http://www.atari.com.au/games/overview.do?id=425 |archive-date=October 31, 2005 |access-date=April 6, 2024 |website=[[Atari, Inc. (1993–present)|Atari Australia]]}}</ref>|NA|November 8, 2005<ref>{{Cite web |last=Burnes |first=Andrew |date=November 8, 2005 |title=''Operation Flashpoint: Elite'' Ships |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2005/11/08/operation-flashpoint-elite-ships |access-date=April 6, 2024 |website=[[IGN]] |archive-date=April 6, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240406225158/https://www.ign.com/articles/2005/11/08/operation-flashpoint-elite-ships |url-status=live }}</ref>}}
*'''Linux, macOS'''{{vgrelease|WW|March 14, 2017<ref>{{Cite web |last=Dawe |first=Liam |date=March 14, 2017 |title=''Arma: Cold War Assault'' released for Linux & Mac, but it's separated from the Windows version |url=https://www.gamingonlinux.com/2017/03/arma-cold-war-assault-released-for-linux-mac-but-its-separated-from-the-windows-version/ |access-date=April 6, 2024 |website=Gaming On Linux}}</ref>}}}}
| genre = [[Tactical shooter]]
| modes = [[Single-player]], [[multiplayer]]
| platforms = [[Windows]], [[Xbox (console)|Xbox]], [[Linux]], [[macOS]]
}}

'''''Operation Flashpoint: Cold War Crisis''''' ({{langx|cs|Operace Flashpoint}}) is a 2001 [[tactical shooter]] [[Simulation video game|simulation]] [[video game]] developed by [[Bohemia Interactive Studio]] and published by [[Codemasters]]. Set during the [[Cold War]] in 1985, the game follows [[United States Armed Forces]] personnel in various [[combined arms]] roles as they combat a rogue [[Soviet Armed Forces]] [[field army]] invading the fictional [[Island country|island countries]] of Everon and Malden.

''Operation Flashpoint'' was released on June 22, 2001 in [[Europe]] and August 30, 2001 in [[North America]] to positive reviews from critics, who praised its realistic gameplay and depiction of [[modern warfare]]. The game was ported to the [[Xbox (console)|Xbox]] in October 2005 as '''''Operation Flashpoint: Elite'''''. Two [[expansion pack]]s, ''[[Operation Flashpoint: Red Hammer]]'' and ''[[Operation Flashpoint: Resistance]]'', were released in February and June 2002 respectively and follow differing perspectives surrounding the conflict on Malden and others on nearby islands.

In 2005, developer Bohemia Interactive split from publisher Codemasters following an internal falling-out, with the former losing the rights to the ''Operation Flashpoint'' name.<ref name=":12">{{Cite news |last=Purchese |first=Robert |date=2014-04-30 |title=Bohemia's war: the story of the company behind Arma and DayZ |language=en-gb |work=Eurogamer |url=https://www.eurogamer.net/bohemias-war-the-story-of-the-company-behind-arma-and-dayz |access-date=2023-08-22 |archive-date=July 1, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230701004156/https://www.eurogamer.net/bohemias-war-the-story-of-the-company-behind-arma-and-dayz |url-status=live }}</ref> ''Operation Flashpoint: Cold War Crisis'' thus has two sequels under two different series: ''[[Arma: Armed Assault]]'', a [[spiritual successor]] released in 2006 by Bohemia Interactive; and ''[[Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising]]'', a direct sequel released in 2009 by Codemasters.<ref name="sequel">{{cite web|url=http://www.bistudio.com/index.php/english/home/news/projects/117-the-name-game-codemasters-marketing-of-new-ofp-creates-confusion-provokes-protest|title=The Name Game|date=February 26, 2009 |publisher=Bohemia Interactive|access-date=September 24, 2009|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101102041727/http://www.bistudio.com/index.php/english/home/news/projects/117-the-name-game-codemasters-marketing-of-new-ofp-creates-confusion-provokes-protest|archive-date=November 2, 2010}}</ref> In 2011, Bohemia Interactive rereleased the game as '''''Arma: Cold War Assault''''', establishing it as part of their ''[[Arma (series)|Arma]]'' series and distributing it for free to owners of the original ''Operation Flashpoint''.<ref name="cold-war-assault">{{Cite web |url=http://www.bistudio.com/index.php/english/home/news/projects/235-arma-cold-war-assault-announced |title=ARMA: Cold War Assault Announced |date=June 23, 2011 |access-date=June 24, 2011 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110626143739/http://www.bistudio.com/index.php/english/home/news/projects/235-arma-cold-war-assault-announced |archive-date=June 26, 2011 }}</ref><ref name="cold-war-assault-dls">{{Cite web |url=http://community.bistudio.com/wiki/Arma:_Cold_War_Assault |title=ARMA: Cold War Assault Downloads |access-date=September 4, 2011 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110903010526/http://community.bistudio.com/wiki/Arma:_Cold_War_Assault |archive-date=September 3, 2011 }}</ref><ref name="steam-help">{{Cite web|url=http://forums.steampowered.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2047640|title=[Answered] Missing campaign in Arma: Cold War Assault (Operation Flashpoint 1)|access-date=November 24, 2011|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110921052603/http://forums.steampowered.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2047640|archive-date=September 21, 2011}}</ref>

==Gameplay==
[[File:Formation ready.jpg|right|thumb|200px|An in-game screenshot of American infantry advancing on a Soviet position]]
''Operation Flashpoint''{{'}}s gameplay varies significantly depending on the player's role, but the game is best described as a [[tactical shooter]] with significant vehicle elements and minor [[real-time tactics]] elements. ''OFP''{{'}}s gameplay is largely team-oriented and the player spends much of the game with a [[squad]] of up to 11 [[Artificial intelligence in video games|computer-controlled]] members, either as a member of the squad or as its [[squad leader]]. On-foot gameplay and the vehicle elements are blended seamlessly and the player can get into any available vehicle at any time, orders and mission conditions permitting. Whether on foot or in a vehicle the player can view the action from both first- and third-person views, as well as an additional "command view" available to squad leaders that provides a limited bird's-eye view of the surrounding area.

At the start of each mission the player is presented with a briefing explaining the situation, describing the player's goals in the mission and, often, providing further information in the form of notes. Once in-game the player is provided with a map, compass, watch, and a notebook. Depending on the mission the player may be required to participate in and complete a variety of tasks, from simply driving a truck or guarding bases to attacking or defending various objectives, patrols, reconnaissance and sabotage behind enemy lines, air support, or any combination of these and more.

When the player is given command of a squad of [[non-player character|NPC]]s, the game becomes more strategy-oriented. As a leader the player is responsible for guiding the squad to its objectives and is able to issue a wide variety of orders to men under their command, such as movement orders, designation of priority targets, formation orders and various other tactical instructions governing how they should behave such as holding fire or attacking only select targets.

===Equipment===
''Operation Flashpoint'' features a wide variety of [[Cold War]]-era equipment, all of which can be used by the player, depending on availability in any given mission. Available firearms range from standard-issue military assault rifles such as the [[M16 rifle|M16A2]] and the [[AK-74]], machine guns, and more specialized weaponry such as sniper rifles and [[suppressor|suppressed]] submachine guns, all of which have iron sights or telescopic sights that the player can use to aim.<ref name="revpc">{{cite web |date=September 4, 2001 |title=Operation Flashpoint: Cold War Crisis review. (PC version) |url=http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/operation-flashpoint-cold-war-crisis-review/1900-2810242/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150715102751/http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/operation-flashpoint-cold-war-crisis-review/1900-2810242/ |archive-date=July 15, 2015 |access-date=June 13, 2015 |publisher=gamespot.com}}
</ref>

Available vehicles include wheeled vehicles (such as jeeps and trucks), patrol boats, tanks and [[armored personnel carrier|APC]]s, helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft such as the [[A-10 Thunderbolt II]]. If a vehicle is accessible to the player, they can take the position of driver or simply ride in the vehicle as a passenger. Many vehicles, such as tanks, require a crew of at least a driver and a gunner to be used effectively. All vehicles have accurately modeled 3D interiors.

''Operation Flashpoint'' pioneered the use of realistic vehicle and aircraft combat in [[first-person shooter]] games. While ''Operation Flashpoint'' does not provide the same level of vehicle realism as a dedicated simulator like ''[[Steel Beasts]]'' or ''[[Falcon 4.0]]'', it is nevertheless notable because it does not only simulate aircraft, tank and infantry combat with consistently high levels of realism, but also accurately simulates the complex [[combined arms]] relationships between these elements in warfare.

''Operation Flashpoint'' includes an in-game mission editor which can be used to create missions and campaigns.<ref name="revpc" />

===Multiplayer===
Multiplayer was available through [[GameSpy]] until the termination of their master server in July 2014. Multiplayer is now only possible through the [[third-party application]] "OFP-Monitor". For the Xbox, multiplayer for ''Operation Flashpoint Elite'' was available through [[Xbox network|Xbox Live]] until it was shut down on April 15, 2010. The game is now playable online using replacement online servers for the Xbox called [[Insignia (Xbox)|Insignia]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Insignia - Operation Flashpoint: Elite |url=https://insignia.live/games/434d005a |access-date=2025-01-19 |website=insignia.live |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Xbox |first=Pure |date=2023-11-16 |title=Xbox Live 1.0 Replacement 'Insignia' Now Supports 150 Games |url=https://www.purexbox.com/news/2023/11/xbox-live-1-0-replacement-insignia-now-supports-150-games |access-date=2025-01-19 |website=Pure Xbox |language=en-GB |archive-date=January 19, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250119052021/https://www.purexbox.com/news/2023/11/xbox-live-1-0-replacement-insignia-now-supports-150-games |url-status=live }}</ref>

Multiplayer missions are not limited any specific mode, with the mission editor instead allowing mission creators to set their own mission parameters. The most common modes include:

*'''[[Deathmatch (gaming)|Deathmatch]]''' – Players battle each other to earn the most kills and points.
*'''[[Team deathmatch#Other forms of deathmatch|Team Deathmatch]]''' – Players, split into two teams, battle to earn the most kills and points.
*'''[[Capture the Flag#Software and games|Capture The Flag]]''' – Players must steal their enemy's flag and bring it back to their own base.
*'''[[Cooperative video game|Cooperative]]''' – Players work together to complete a mission, fighting against computer-controlled enemies.

==Synopsis==

=== Setting ===
''Operation Flashpoint'' is set in the 1986 on an [[archipelago]] in the [[Atlantic Ocean]] consisting of four major islands: Everon, a [[microstate]] that houses a [[NATO]] training camp but otherwise tries to remain neutral in the Cold War; Malden, a neighboring microstate housing a NATO garrison; [[Kolguyev Island]], a barren island part of [[Russia]] where Soviet military units are regularly stationed; and Nogova, a country near Everon and Malden that is invaded by Soviet forces in 1982 in a political crisis mirroring the 1968 [[Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia]].

The game's story is told through three campaigns: ''Cold War Crisis'', ''Red Hammer'', and ''Resistance''. The events of ''Cold War Crisis'' and ''Resistance'' are considered [[Canon (fiction)|canon]] in both the ''Operation Flashpoint'' and ''Arma'' series, but the events of ''Red Hammer'' are not considered canon in the ''Arma'' series due to Bohemia lacking legal rights to the expansion's assets.

===''Cold War Crisis''===
In May 1985, new [[General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union|Soviet General Secretary]] [[Mikhail Gorbachev]]'s ''[[glasnost]]'' and ''[[perestroika]]'' reforms are welcomed by [[Western world|Western governments]] but rejected by [[Communist Party of the Soviet Union|Communist Party]] hardliners. One such hardliner, General Aleksei Vasilii Guba, orders his 3rd Army on Koljugev to invade Everon and Malden, with the goal of discrediting Gorbachev's administration and forming an [[Anti-Western sentiment|anti-Western]] government with Guba at its helm. Soviet forces under Guba land on Everon and defeat the Everon Freedom Alliance [[militia]], crushing opposition and cutting the island's communications.

During a [[training exercise]] on Malden, [[United States Army]] Colonel Caper Blake, commander of NATO forces in the region, becomes suspicious of the sudden loss of contact with Everon and dispatches a squad of soldiers to investigate, led by infantryman Corporal David Armstrong. When Armstrong's squad comes under fire from Soviet forces, Blake authorizes the deployment of additional NATO units, who manage to push deep into Everon; however, after seizing the city of Montignac, Guba retaliates with a massive [[counterattack]] of Soviet troops and combat vehicles who overrun NATO forces and push them out of Everon. Armstrong, the sole survivor of his squad, is captured by the Soviets but is rescued by the Freedom and Independence Army (FIA), a [[Guerrilla warfare|guerilla army]] formed from the remnants of the Everon Freedom Alliance. After fighting their way through Soviet lines to reach the FIA's base camp, FIA leader Ian Stoyan arranges for Armstrong to return to Malden to seek help from the NATO garrison.

Armstrong returns to Malden, but his superiors refuse to support the FIA. Reassigned as a [[Picket (military)|sentry]], Armstrong is attacked by [[Spetsnaz GRU|Spetsnaz]] [[saboteurs]] and learns the Soviets are invading Malden. NATO forces elsewhere on Malden, including inexperienced tank commander Lieutenant Robert Hammer, fight back and achieve some victories but are ultimately pushed to the northern coasts of the island. With geopolitical tensions escalating as the West erroneously blames Gorbachev's government for the invasion, Guba contacts Blake with an ultimatum to surrender; however, this reveals his complicity and prompts the Soviet government to condemn his actions, and Blake refuses to surrender when the U.S. government orders a [[carrier battle group]] to the region. [[United States Army Special Forces]] Major James Gastovski is brought out of retirement to sabotage Soviet materiel, while Armstrong is promoted to lieutenant for his actions in combat against the Soviets, who are eventually forced out of Malden. NATO forces, including helicopter pilot Captain Sam Nichols, launch a counter-invasion of Everon and liberate it with the FIA before shifting their attention to Koljugev, which Guba's forces are using as a [[staging area]].

When NATO invades Koljugev, Guba acquires a [[Scud missile]] and captures Nichols, by then reassigned from a [[UH-60 Black Hawk]] to an [[A-10 Thunderbolt II]], and threatens to fire the Scud and publicly execute Nichols and other [[prisoners of war]] to coerce Blake's forces to withdraw. However, Nichols manages to escape, while Gastovski's special forces team acquires the Scud's disarm codes, allowing NATO to destroy it. In a fit of rage, Guba kills his secretary and lover Angelina and orders the preparation of a second Scud for launch, but is captured by Gastovski. While in custody, Guba accidentally reveals the location of the second Scud, which is promptly destroyed by NATO, ending the conflict. With the crisis resolved, the Soviet Union and the West agree to cover up the conflict as a foiled [[nuclear terrorist]] attack. In the campaign's epilogue, a fully retired Gastovski returns to Everon to reunite with Armstrong, Hammer, Nichols, and Stoyan, now his friends.

=== ''Red Hammer'' ===
{{Further|Operation Flashpoint: Red Hammer#Plot}}In 1980s, Dmitri Lukin takes part of Soviet invasion of Everon, later in the invasion of NATO-held Malden where Soviet soldiers are pushing back ahead after a few initial success. Lukin leads the defense of Everon and the action behind enemy lines, and he is sent to kill one of leaders of resistance and shockingly discovers that he is a Spetsnaz defender and did not want to serve under general Guba anymore.

=== ''Resistance'' ===
{{Further|Operation Flashpoint: Resistance#Plot}}In 1982 in the fictional island of Nogova, the Soviet Union invades the island, claiming that they were establishing a new socialist government. Guerilla resistance forces soon establish a small camp at Blackwood Forest. Judge Victor Troska joins the resistance movement shortly after.

==Reception==
===Sales===
In the United States, ''Operation Flashpoint'' sold 230,000 copies and earned $8.8 million by August 2006, after its release in June 2001. It was the country's 90th best-selling computer game during this period.<ref name=edgesales>{{cite magazine|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121017165955/http://www.edge-online.com/features/top-100-pc-games-21st-century/ |url=http://www.edge-online.com/features/top-100-pc-games-21st-century/ |title=The Top 100 PC Games of the 21st Century| author=''Edge'' Staff | date=August 25, 2006 |magazine=[[Edge (magazine)|Edge]] |archive-date=October 17, 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref> It received a "Silver" sales award from the [[Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association]] (ELSPA),<ref name=silverelspa>{{cite web |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090221154943/http://www.elspa.com/?i=3942 |url=http://www.elspa.com:80/?i=3942 |title=ELSPA Sales Awards: Silver |work=[[Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association]] |archive-date=February 21, 2009 |url-status=dead }}</ref> indicating sales of at least 100,000 copies in the United Kingdom.<ref name=gamasutrasales>{{cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170918063107/https://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/112220/ELSPA_Wii_Fit_Mario_Kart_Reach_Diamond_Status_In_UK.php |url=https://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/112220/ELSPA_Wii_Fit_Mario_Kart_Reach_Diamond_Status_In_UK.php |title=ELSPA: ''Wii Fit'', ''Mario Kart'' Reach Diamond Status In UK | author=Caoili, Eric | date=November 26, 2008 |work=[[Gamasutra]] |archive-date=September 18, 2017 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Sales of ''Operation Flashpoint'' surpassed 1 million units by 2002,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.codemasters.com/press/?showarticle=2266 |title=Codemasters : Press : Codemasters launches Operation Flashpoint: Game of the Year edition |website=www.codemasters.com |access-date=12 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060322142845/http://www.codemasters.com/press/?showarticle=2266 |archive-date=22 March 2006 |url-status=dead}}</ref> and ultimately topped 2 million copies by 2010.<ref name=sales5>{{cite press release|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171008184933/http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/arma-ii-operation-arrowhead-in-game-video-takes-a-closer-look-at-the-standalone-expansion-pack | url=http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/arma-ii-operation-arrowhead-in-game-video-takes-a-closer-look-at-the-standalone-expansion-pack |title=''Arma 2: Operation Arrowhead'' | date=June 25, 2010 |publisher=[[Gamesindustry.biz]] |archive-date=October 8, 2017 |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Critical reviews===
{{Video game reviews
| GR = PC: 87%<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.gamerankings.com/pc/377887-operation-flashpoint-cold-war-crisis/index.html |title=Operation Flashpoint: Cold War Crisis for PC |website=[[GameRankings]] |publisher=[[CBS Interactive]] |access-date=August 30, 2001 |archive-date=December 9, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191209011538/https://www.gamerankings.com/pc/377887-operation-flashpoint-cold-war-crisis/index.html |url-status=live }}</ref><br />XBOX: 67%<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.gamerankings.com/xbox/561091-operation-flashpoint-elite/index.html |title=Operation Flashpoint: Elite for Xbox |website=[[GameRankings]] |publisher=[[CBS Interactive]] |access-date=November 12, 2019 |archive-date=December 9, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191209012447/https://www.gamerankings.com/xbox/561091-operation-flashpoint-elite/index.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
| MC = PC: 85/100<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/operation-flashpoint-cold-war-crisis/critic-reviews/?platform=pc |title=Operation Flashpoint: Cold War Crisis for PC Reviews |website=[[Metacritic]] |publisher=[[CBS Interactive]] |access-date=August 30, 2001 |archive-date=September 4, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140904090638/http://www.metacritic.com/game/pc/operation-flashpoint-cold-war-crisis |url-status=live }}</ref><br />XBOX: 64/100<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/operation-flashpoint-cold-war-crisis/critic-reviews/?platform=xbox |title=Operation Flashpoint: Elite for Xbox Reviews |website=[[Metacritic]] |publisher=[[CBS Interactive]] |access-date=November 12, 2019}}</ref>
| GSpot = {{rating|5|5}}<ref name=gamespot>{{cite journal | author=Osborne, Scott  |title=''Operation Flashpoint: Cold War Crisis Review'' |journal=[[GameSpot]]|date=September 2001}}</ref>
| IGN = {{rating|5|5}}<ref name=IGN>{{cite journal | author=Adams, Dan  |title=Operation Flashpoint |journal=[[IGN]]|date=August 2001}}</ref>
| NGen = {{rating|4|5}}<ref name=nextgen>{{cite journal | author=Leaver, John |title=Finals – ''Operation Flashpoint'' |journal=[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]]|volume=Lifecycle 2, Volume 3 | issue=8|date=August 2001|page=89 }}</ref>
| award1Pub = [[Computer Gaming World]]
| award1 = Game of the Year<ref>{{cite web|url=http://computergamingworld.com/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040605081241/http://computergamingworld.com/|archive-date=June 5, 2004|title=Computer Gaming World }}</ref>
| award2Pub = [[Computer Games Magazine]]
| award2 = Best action game of 2001<ref name="cgm11th"/>
}}

John Leaver reviewed the PC version of the game for ''[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]]'', rating it four stars out of five, and stated that "This is an extremely realistic sim. Its only major drawback is that the realism sometimes takes precedence over playability, and at times it will bore less-than-hardcore war gamers."<ref name=nextgen/>

''Operation Flashpoint'' has won critical acclaim for its realism of simulating military conflict situations on PC, even to the extent where the game's technology has been adapted for real soldiers to use as the special combat training application ''VBS1''.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=2001-12-15 |title=Operation Flashpoint Goes to War |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2001/12/15/operation-flashpoint-goes-to-war |access-date=2023-05-31 |website=IGN |language=en |archive-date=February 6, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120206221729/http://uk.pc.ign.com/articles/100/100508p1.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

''Operation Flashpoint: Cold War Crisis'' won ''[[Computer Gaming World]]''{{'}}s 2001 "Game of the Year" award. The editors wrote, "Little did we know that somewhere in what used to be Czechoslovakia, Bohemia Interactive was quietly building one of the most revolutionary games that we would ever play."<ref name=cgwpremier2001>{{cite magazine |magazine=[[Computer Gaming World]] | title=Games of the Year; The Very Best of a (Sometimes) Great Year in Gaming |date=April 2002 | issue=213 | pages=69–73, 76–84 }}</ref> The editors of ''[[Computer Games Magazine]]'' named ''Cold War Crisis'' the best action game of 2001, and wrote, "It doesn't play quite like any other action game out there, and that's a good thing—especially in a game that's this much fun." The magazine also presented ''Cold War Crisis'' with its 2001 "Best AI" award.<ref name=cgm11th>{{cite journal | author=Staff | journal=[[Computer Games Magazine]] | title=11th Annual ''Computer Games'' Awards |date=March 2002 | issue=136 | pages=50–56 }}</ref>

=== Accolades ===
* PC ZONE Classic Award''<ref name="awards">{{cite web |date=February 2, 2006 |title=Operation Flashpoint Awards |url=http://operationflashpoint.filefront.com/info/awards |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100813005401/http://operationflashpoint.filefront.com/info/awards |archive-date=August 13, 2010 |access-date=August 17, 2010 |publisher=OperationFlashpoint.Filefront.com}}</ref>''
* IGN Editors Choice Award
* Gamespy: Best of 2001 (PC Action)
* Computer Gaming World's Editors Choice Award
* The Adrenaline Vault: [https://web.archive.org/web/20051217201344/http://www.avault.com/reviews/review_temp.asp?game=opflash Seal of Excellence Award]
* ECTS winner
* The Wargamer: Award of Excellence
* Gamestar.de Award
* PC Gamer Awards
* COMBATSIM.COM: Best Integrated Battlefield Simulation 2001

==Expansions==
{{main|Operation Flashpoint: Red Hammer|Operation Flashpoint: Resistance}}

Throughout 2002, Codemasters released two expansion packs for ''Operation Flashpoint''. They were ''Operation Flashpoint: Red Hammer'', released on February 1, 2002; and ''Operation Flashpoint: Resistance'', released on June 28, 2002. ''Red Hammer'', developed by Codemasters, added the ''Red Hammer'' campaign and several new vehicles and game improvements, while ''Resistance'', developed by Bohemia Interactive, added the ''Resistance'' campaign, improved graphics, and guerrilla warfare-focused gameplay mechanics.

== Sequels ==
A direct sequel, ''[[Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising]]'', was released by Codemasters on October 6, 2009.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.codemasters.com/corporate/press/article.php?id=12834 |title=Codemasters |access-date=October 31, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101202003241/http://codemasters.com/corporate/press/article.php?id=12834 |archive-date=December 2, 2010 }}</ref> Independently, ''Operation Flashpoint: Cold War Crisis'' developer Bohemia Interactive released its own spiritual sequel, ''[[Arma: Armed Assault]]'', on November 10, 2006.<ref name="arma">{{Cite web|url=http://www.armedassault.com/|title=Arma: Armed Assault Official Website|access-date=August 30, 2012|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120822130203/http://www.armedassault.com/|archive-date=August 22, 2012}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist|40em}}

==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20040918120821/http://www.flashpoint1985.com/ Official website]

{{Operation Flashpoint |state=expanded}}
{{Bohemia Interactive}}
{{Codemasters}}

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